Automatic revolver-firearm.



No.' 688,216] Y a w. .1. wHmNG.. l

' A'u'roMATlc REVOLVER 'FIBEABM f Application md may 4, 1901.)

(No Modem' WITNSSES v y lINVENTOR WZZwm/Jfzh' v .l

(Appie-ation sled may 4, 1901.)

' To all whom t nur/y concern:

.lNrTnD I STATES PATENT einen.

AUTOMA'TIG'.REMOLVER-FIRERM.

SPECIFICATION formingvpart of Letters Patent No. 688,216, dated December 3, 19.01.- Application filed May 4, 1901l Serial No. 58,758. (No'modei.) I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHN Winn ING, works manager', a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Douglas road, Handsworth, near the city of Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inl RevolverSmall-Arms, of which the following is a speciiication. l

This invention relates to small-arms ofthe breakdown-revolver type in which a rotating chamber-cylinder is employed, and has for its object to provide suoli irearms with means Vfor automatically holding the cylinder stationary when the arm is opened for the purpose of insuring the clerrect alinement of the next chamber of the said cylinder relative to the barrel'and the hammer when the Weapon 'is again closed ready for tiring; also, for automatically releasing the said cylinder from its locked position and leaving it 'free to be rotated when closed.-

' Figure lof the accompanying drawings represents, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section, a revolver of the VVebley-'Fosbery automatic type provided with means constructed and arranged in accordance with this invention for retaining the cylinder with one of its chambers in alineinent with the'barrel when the revolver is opened. This vielw shows the device in the position it assumes when the weapon is closed and the cylinder freed. Fig. 2 is a similar view to Figi, but shows the revolver opened andthe cylinder locked or held stationary with a chamber in alinement with the barrel. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section vof Fig. 2 upon the dotted line Fig. 4 is a view showing the under side of the barrel-strap of the revolver, into which the cylinder-locking device is tted. The sameletfrs of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the revolver represented tliecylinder a., with the extractor, is rotatably mounted upon a pivot-sleeve, as usual, and the barrelfstrap.

' -b is locked to the standing breech o by a pivoted bridle-fastener d,`while the barrel e, with the body f, standing breech c, and cylinder a,and also the hammer mechanism are arranged (in the manner common to revolvers of this type) to slide bodily rearward under the iniuence of the recoil for recocking the hammer g after each discharge and partly rotating the cylinder a., which has a zigzag race 5 5 d around its periphery, engaged by'a fixed stud g on the bed Q9 of the arm. At the rear angle of each zigzag of the race a pocket or recess h is formed, adapted to be engaged (when the revolver is opened, as in Fig. 2,) by a stud 6o e' or equivalent projection on the free end t of a spring cylinder-locking limb or springoperated member t2, working-within a longitudinal slot orV groove b', running along the under side of the barrellstrap b. The tip is of lthe said free end extends into theeye or opening b2 at the end of the barrel-strap and is arranged to overhang the shoulder c2 of a notch c3, formed. in the face of the standing breech c, near to the summit c thereof, so that when 7o the revolver is being closed the said tip of the locking-limb, which 'is in a plane slightly below that of the said, shoulder o2,lis madeto impi'nge against the said breech-shoulderand be raised or deflected upward, so as to thereby automatically taketherstudron its under side from out of the pocketof the zigzagracew on the closingmovement being completed and leave' theoylinder free, as in Fig. 1, to be rotated on recoil by the stud on the "iizied 8o bed'engaging' the pocket of the undermost zigzag of lthe race,- which stud is taken into positive engagement with the said race in advance of the cylinder Abeing released from the locking-limb. On opening the revolver the bridledever is first nnfastened to free the barrel, 'Which/is now turned down, and immediately the eye of the barrel-strap is lifted off the summit of the standing breech, and before the under- 9o most pocket of the cyiindenraee is lifted 0E the fixed stud on the bed the free end of the spring-limb is liberated and drops orsprings back, thereby taking its stud into engage f ment with the uppermost pocket of the race e 5 and automatically and positively locking the ycylinder with its top enamber and the barrel in true alinement, and preventing any inadvertent displacement or rotation of the cylb inder daring the completion of the'j opening uo U movement or while the arm remains open.

The application of the invention to other revolver small-arms diters in no essential respect from its application to revolvers of the Webley-Fosbery automatic type, as hereinbei'cre described.

, Having fullydescribed my invention,what l desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent isl, in a revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown type, the combination with the stock, of a barrel pivoted thereto, a cylinder rotatably mounted on the barrel, and means for holding the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is swung on its pivot to open position.

2. in a'revolveror similarirearm, the combination with the stock, of a barrel movably connected thereto,a cylinder rotatably mount.- ed cn the barrel, and means for locking the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is moved on its mounting'to open position.

3. ln a revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown type, the combination with the stock, of a barrel pivoted thereto, a cylinder rotntabiy mounted on the barrel,and a springcatch arranged to engage and lock the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is swung to open position. A

4. in a revolver orsiinilar firearm of the breakdown type, the combinationwith the stocks of a barrel pivoted thereto, a-cylinder rotatably mounted on the barrehand a springcatch carried by the barrel and caused to engage and loci; the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is swung to open position.

. 5. ln a revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown type, the combination Awith the steek, of a barrel pivoted thereto having a rearwardly-extending barrel-strap, a cylinder rotatably mounted on the barrel, and a springcatch carried by the barrel-strap and caused to en, ge and lock the cylinder against r'otation "when the barrel is in an open position.

6. in revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown type, the combination with the steelt, ci a barrel piyoted thereto, a cylinder esame tion, and means for releasing said holding means when the barrel is in closed position'.

7. In a revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown type, the vcombination with the stock, of a barrel movably connected thereto, a cylinder 'rotatably mounted on the barrel, means for locking the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is moved on its mounting to open position, and means for automatically releasing the locking means when the `barrel is in its closed posit-ion.

8. In a revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown type, the combination with the stock, of a barrel pivoted thereto, a cylinder rotatably mounted n the barrel, a springcatch caused to engage and lock the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is swung to open position, and means carried by the stock for engaging and releasing the catch when the barrel is in its closed position.

9. In a revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown type, the combination with the stock, of a barrel pivoted thereto, a cylinder rotatably mounted on the barrel, a springcatch carried by the barrel and caused to engage and lock the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is in open position, and means for engaging and releasing the catch from engagement with the cylinder when the barrel is brought to a closed position.

lO. In a revolver or similar firearm of the breakdown' type, the combination with the stock, of a barrel pivoted thereto, a cylinder rotatably mounted on the barrel, a' springcatch caused to engage and lock the cylinder against rotation when the barrel is in an open position, anda shoulder carried bya'part of the stock for engaging and releasing the spring-catch from its engagement with the cylinder when the barrel isbrought to a closed position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two-subscribing witmesses.

WiLLlAM JOHN WHIFING. Witnesses:

ARTHUR T. SADLER, ALBERT Balans. 

